


don't you call him baby

by Femstyles



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - America, Exes, Exes to Lovers, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Jealous Harry, Jealous Louis, Jealousy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:02:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26326819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Femstyles/pseuds/Femstyles
Summary: But now, eleven months later, as his Uber pulls up outside the bar, Harry thinks he can absolutely handle this. He's going to walk into Liam's birthday party where the ex-love of his life is also going to be and he's going to show Louis that he can be a mature adult about everything that’s happened in the last year.Or the one where Harry is absolutely doing fine and is definitely not still hung up on Louis. Except he is.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Louis Tomlinson/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 27
Kudos: 283
Collections: Fine Line Fic Fest





	don't you call him baby

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written for the [Fine Line Fic Fest](https://finelineficfest.tumblr.com//). Make sure you check out all the other great fics in the collection which can be found [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/FineLineFicFest//)!
> 
> I would like to say an absolutely massive thank you to [Gina](https://uhohmorshedios.tumblr.com/), without you this fic would not be what it is and I appreciate you so much! That being said, all errors and mistakes are my own. 
> 
> The title is from Cherry by Harry Styles, the inspiration for this fic. Honestly, I don't know where this came from, I just started writing and this was the result. I hope you enjoy!

Ever since Harry got the message from Liam three days earlier he hasn't been able to stop thinking about it. 

_Louis is coming to birthday drinks_

_also I heard he's seeing someone new_

Harry had read it twelve times over before finally responding with a cheery _Thanks for the heads up!_ Which greatly contradicted the irritation that seemed to hum just under his skin. Logically, he knows that he has no right to be irritated; Louis made it clear a year ago when he left town that they had no future. 

Sure it had hurt like a son of a bitch at first. Harry had cried for days on end, he'd been sure that what they had was a forever kind of thing until Louis had cut him open with a blow of "we don't have a future" before he moved to Chicago.

But now, eleven months later, as his Uber pulls up outside the bar, Harry thinks he can absolutely handle this. He's going to walk into Liam's birthday party where the ex-love of his life is also going to be and he's going to show Louis that he can be a mature adult about everything that’s happened in the last year. 

After one last check of his hair in the dark screen of his phone, Harry gets out of the car with a mumbled thanks to the driver and waves when he sees Zayn standing outside smoking a cig. 

"Hey, H." Zayn greets and gives him a one-armed hug "Good to see you, man." 

Harry smiles, hoping that it's not evident that he's as nervous as ever to see Louis. "Yeah, 's been a minute. Is everyone inside?" He doesn't need to specify, Zayn knows he's asking if Louis is there. 

Shaking his head, Zayn surveys Harry's features and Harry tries not to shy away. He's never been exactly comfortable with the way Zayn seems to just study people until he's satisfied that he knows what they're thinking. "Louis isn't here yet. Liam's inside with Niall who insisted on buying him a round. "

Harry nods once and lets some of the tension fall from his shoulders as Zayn takes another drag. "Alright. Well, I'll see you in there?" He says as he smoothes the front of his shirt out and steps toward the building, hoping he's got time to get at least a drink in his hand before Louis shows. 

Harry spies Liam and Niall making their way to a booth so he cuts toward the bar to pick up a drink of his own. It's been a few weeks since he's Niall and he's eager to hear about the golf tournament he just finished up, and of course, he's excited to celebrate Liam's 27th birthday with their group. 

It's been longer than any of them would like since they've all been together, in fact, the last time all five of them were in the same room was Niall’s birthday last September. Harry remembers too vividly Louis announcing after several drinks that he was moving to Chicago which had been news to Harry despite the fact they'd been all but living together for the past few months and had begun to talk more seriously about a permanent move in just in the past two or so weeks.

Harry shakes the memory from his mind and orders himself a strawberry daiquiri before he makes his way to Liam and Niall who are laughing over their own drinks. Liam notices him first and his face lights up as Harry slides into the booth beside Niall. "H! Glad you could make it!" Liam greets, as excitable as ever as they settle in. 

"Happy Birthday! It's good to see you both, I said hi to Zee on my way in," Harry hums as he takes a sip from his drink as he tries to hide his nerves. Liam and Niall exchange a glance and Harry frowns, "What?" 

"Nothing man, just.. are you sure you'll be alright tonight?" Niall asks, never one to really dance around a topic. 

Liam makes a face, clearly worried as well. Harry smiles and shrugs a shoulder in response. "Don't worry about me, I can handle myself," he promises before turning to Niall. "Tell me about the tournament," he prompts as Zayn joins Liam on his side of the table with a gentle kiss to his cheek in greeting. 

Harry loses himself in his fruity drink and Niall's story about his exciting trip to Florida where he caddied for a guy he'd met through his dad ages ago until a loud greeting of "Payno!" from an all too familiar voice calls out. 

Liam gets up and gives Louis a hug, and it's not until they step away from each other that Harry plasters on a smile and turns his attention toward Louis for the first time. The first thing he notices is how good Louis looks, but he's not exactly taken by surprise by that. Louis has always been the most beautiful person Harry's laid eyes on, and he's positive it would take more than a broken heart and a year's time to change that. 

The second thing he notices is how unbothered Louis looks as he reaches across the table to slap Niall's hand where it's extended in greeting as he slides in on Liam and Zayn's side of the booth. 

"Long time no see, Tommo. How’s life up north treating you?" Niall asks with a grin on his face that shows he's genuinely glad to see his friend again. Harry takes a big gulp from his drink, wishing he'd ordered something a little stronger to soothe the ache in his chest that accompanies seeing the love of his life sitting in front of him.

"It's been good! It was what I needed, a nice change of pace. I think I might be coming home though for a bit," Louis tells the table. The announcement may come as a surprise to Harry, but everyone reacting with excitement at the idea of seeing Louis more often again isn't at all. He was always the life of the party.

It's awkward but manageable, Harry thinks as the five of them finish up their first round of drinks and update each other on important moments in their lives while waiting for a second to be delivered. Harry and Louis pointedly do not speak to one another, but both listen as the other speaks and Harry thinks that with a little bit of time, things might resume with some sense of normalcy.

Harry finds himself watching Louis as he talks and he tries to pinpoint the ways that Louis has changed in the eleven months since he saw him last. His hair is a bit longer, but it still looks soft and shiny and he remembers what it feels like to play with the strands in hazy morning light. He's grown a bit of facial hair, it's trimmed up nicely and Harry wonders when he decided to give that a try as he's never been the biggest fan of facial hair before. He's also got a couple of new tattoos, the one that stands out the most is the 28 on his knuckles and Harry wishes he knew the story behind it. 

But otherwise, he's much the same. He's got those same little crinkles up in the corners of his eyes that show when he smiles, his voice is still that raspy timber that makes Harry feel like he's home, and his laugh is still so familiar and lovely that Harry wishes he could bathe in it. 

As they finish up their second round of drinks, Harry's trying to keep himself from wallowing too much in all the ways he misses Louis. He's realized somewhere along the lines that Louis hasn't mentioned seeing anyone and Harry finds himself briefly wondering who the mystery man in Louis' life is.

Niall prods Harry in the ribs and gestures toward the bar with a questioning look, like he's waiting for a response. "Uh, sorry. What's up?"

Narrowing his eyes for a brief moment, Niall shoves gently at Harry's shoulder and repeats himself. "Come get drinks for everyone with me." 

Harry slips from the booth and follows Niall obediently to the bar where they stand to wait their turn. "So.." Niall starts with a bemused look crossing his face. "You're definitely still hung up on Louis."

Harry's jaw drops, taken aback once again by Niall's straightforward approach to conversation. "I'm sorry, what?" he asks, his voice a bit higher in pitch. 

"You keep staring at him with that frog face you used to do when you were together," Niall tells him, his tone is gentle but his words still make Harry's cheeks burn with humiliation. 

"Is it obvious? God do you think he's noticed? I don't want to look pathetic, Niall."

The bartender steps over then and while Niall orders the group another round, Harry glances over at the table. Louis' back is to him so he can't see his face, but Liam looks like his eyes are about to pop out of his head at whatever Louis is telling him and Zayn. Harry chuckles quietly to himself and turns back toward Niall as they wait for their drinks. 

"I'm making us all do shots," Niall tells him proudly before he resumes their conversation from before. "No, I don't think he's noticed. Thought I should let you know though so you can reign it in.. unless you want him to know."

Harry winces and shakes his head quickly, "I'd rather he not know."

The bartender slides Niall a tray with the order on it and they make their way back to the table with their friends. Harry is determined to prove that he is absolutely not hung up on Louis anymore, so after Niall demands they all take their shots in a toast to Liam's birthday, he smiles over at Louis and tries to play it cool. 

Just as the buzz is really starting to take over, Liam and Zayn excuse themselves to take a call from Liam's family to wish him a happy birthday. As they step outside, Niall announces he has to use the toilet, and before Harry can really process it, he's alone with Louis. 

It's like he can feel the energy shift, the air changing from light and fun to tense and thick. As he starts to think about a million things to fill the silence, Harry curses his friends for putting him in this situation.

He takes a swig from his beer and then decides to speak before the moment gets worse. "So you're seeing someone?" He rushes out, the words falling from his lips much more abruptly than he had hoped. "I mean, Liam said you were seeing someone?" he tries again. 

He watches as Louis' eyes flash with a bit of an emotion Harry can't exactly pinpoint, but quickly Louis gives him a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "Oh, yeah! He's great," he says with an airy tone to his voice. 

Harry nods, not sure what he's meant to say now, but before he can make an ass of himself, Louis continues.

"Was going to introduce you all to him. His name is Aiden and we've been dating for a few months now," Louis' words come quick and feel like a punch in the gut. "But I told him not to come tonight, thought it might be weird." He's talking fast which makes Harry wonder if he's equally as anxious about sitting here with him without a buffer of their friends.

"Oh! Why would it be weird?" Harry forces his smile to stay put, despite the jealousy that swims in his stomach at the confirmation that Louis is seeing someone new. He can do this, he can be happy for Louis despite the way he wants to scream that he's meant to be with Harry instead. 

Louis blinks at him, a strange look crosses his face before he replies casually with "Liam said you were still.. moving on?"

Harry scoffs, cursing Liam in his mind because really he thinks that Liam should keep his mouth shut. "Oh yeah! Uhm I just hadn't told them yet either. I've been seeing someone also, it's new. Only been on a few dates really." 

The lie comes too easy, and Harry wishes desperately that one of their friends would come to the table before he buries himself deeper in it. 

Louis' face morphs into surprise, his eyes widen and Harry feels both satisfied and annoyed by his reaction. "Oh shit!" Louis says after he takes a moment to recover, "Well, then that's great!"

Harry nods his head and swirls the beer in his glass before he takes another swig. He glances over to see Niall is stuck chatting to some blonde near the bar and he curses internally, wishing he could reach out and pull their friend back to the table.

The thing is, Harry's never been good at awkward silences. He always opens his mouth and something embarrassing always spills from his lips in a desperate attempt to fill it. So really the next words that fall from his mouth aren’t that surprising. 

"We should go on a double date while you're in town!" 

Louis freezes for a moment, the horrible suggestion clearly taking him off guard as well, but he collects himself and nods his head in agreement and Harry suddenly and inexplicably feels like they're playing a game of chicken.

"Sure sounds great, how's Saturday work for you?" Louis asks, an eyebrow raised like he can read through Harry almost like he knows he's lying, that he's single and digging a hole that's going to be hard to crawl out of. 

Harry apparently doesn't know what's good for him, so he smiles sweetly and nods his head. "Sounds like a date!"

Louis' eyes don't leave his face as the other man raises his beer in silent cheers and takes a sip from the beer as Harry starts racking his brain to figure out who the hell he's going to beg to pretend to be his new boyfriend for a double date with his ex who he definitely is not still hung up on. 

Liam and Zayn reappear only moments after Harry's finished sealing his fate. Thankfully, Louis seems to be on the same page that they will not be discussing what happened while their friends were gone. For the rest of the night, Harry spends his time trying to make it clear that he is fine and absolutely is capable of being friends with Louis. 

~

The next morning, as Harry trudges his way to work with bags under his eyes, he remembers why he makes it a rule not to drink on weeknights. He's got the edges of a hangover pounding into his temples and he hardly slept after he got home, too busy worrying over the mess he'd made the night before. 

He had ended up telling Niall what had happened while they waited for the Uber to pick them up since they live relatively close together, and the asshole had just laughed at him the whole way home. He wasn't sure what exactly was so funny, but Niall had just patted his head when he asked and told him "you'll figure it out."

As Harry sets his bag down at his desk, he thinks maybe he needs to reevaluate who he considers his best friend these days. 

Unfortunately, he must not be very good at hiding the fact that he's not off to the best start to his day as his coworker Sarah leans over from her desk only an hour in with her bright as usual smile on her face. "Rough night?" she asks as she spins in her chair a bit. 

Harry pouts at his computer screen and leans back in the rolling chair. "Very rough," he amends. 

"Want to share? You look like you're about to break your computer with the glare you're giving it." Sarah's always been one of his favorite people at work.

With a sigh, Harry runs his hand through his hair as he debates whether he wants people to know what a mess he's made of himself. Apparently, he's got no pride left so he nods and begins to explain how he somehow suggested to his ex-boyfriend that they should double date with Harry's imaginary boyfriend.

Sarah, for what it’s worth, does her best not to laugh as he adds on at the end: "And I have no one to take on said double date to pretend to be my boyfriend."

When Sarah sighs, "Oh Harry," he thinks she sounds an awful lot like his mother and he buries his head in his hands in embarrassment. Sarah pats him sympathetically on the shoulder before they both go back to their own work.

Harry tries not to dwell on it the rest of the morning as he sets himself to work and he actually impresses himself with the ability to pretend like he's not regretting his existence deeply. 

It's not until he's sitting in the breakroom to eat his lunch that Sarah all but skips in with a triumphant smile on her face. "Mitch says he will gladly be your pretend boyfriend!" she singsongs proudly as she takes the seat next to him. 

Harry nearly chokes on the surprised laugh that comes from him and he takes a drink from his water bottle before he narrows his eyes curiously at the woman. "Mitch? As in your boyfriend?" he asks, unable to hide his amusement. 

He remembers Mitch from the company Christmas party last year. The two had connected over their adoration of Stevie Nicks after Sarah had introduced them but they hadn't seen each other much since, save for the few times Mitch has come to pick Sarah up from work for lunch.

Sarah nods as she opens up her lunch and starts mixing the salad she brought together. "I asked if he'd be willing to help and after telling him that he'd get free food from it he agreed!" She says it like it’s no big deal. 

"Are you sure? Isn't it weird to send your boyfriend on a date with your coworker?" Harry asks, amused but genuinely curious. 

"Nah, no offense darling but despite your gorgeous face he's definitely not going anywhere," she responds with a little wink that makes Harry giggle.

He reaches over and hugs her from the side. "Thank you. You're an absolute godsend," he says, the words sincere before he teases, "I promise I'll treat him right."

~

Harry invites Sarah and Mitch over for dinner at his place on Friday night and after he feeds them a nice home cooked dinner and a couple of glasses of wine, Sarah tells them they need to start practicing being a believable couple. 

So they spend a bit of time filling each other in on basic information that might be helpful, and then Sarah tests them on what they've learned. 

"Maybe it's the wine talking, but I think we're going to kill it tomorrow!" Harry tells Mitch enthusiastically as he walks them toward the door at nearly ten thirty. "Thank you again, I owe you both."

Mitch waves his hand dismissively before he pulls Harry toward him for a hug and smacks a kiss to his cheek. "Don't worry about it. See you soon!"

The next morning Harry goes for a leisurely jog with Niall and he tells him all about the new developments in his prove-to-Louis-that-I'm-perfectly-okay plan, to which his friend calls him an idiot as they bid their goodbyes.

As he's making his breakfast after a shower that relaxes the tension in his shoulders, Harry hears his phone chime with a new message. He sees the text from Louis, his contact name still listed as **don't** **do it!!!!** from when he'd changed it after their split to remind himself not to call or text. 

_How's six at Agelinis sound? I told Aiden I'd take him there while we're in town anyway :)_

Harry sends back a thumbs-up emoji followed by _Mitch loves it there! see you!_ before he shuts the phone and gives himself a little pep talk. "You can do this. It's one night and then you're done with this. You just have to show him you're doing just fine," he mumbles to himself. 

He tries not to worry for the rest of the day, but as he's shaving his face and putting on his carefully chosen outfit, he can't help but acknowledge the panic that sits in his chest. He's about to go meet his ex-boyfriend's new boyfriend and he's about to lie to their faces about his own fake new boyfriend. Honestly, he wonders how he doesn't have his own TV show sometimes. 

He gets a text from Mitch that their Uber is there and he pats his pockets to make sure he's got his wallet before he makes his way downstairs. He's already sweating a bit as he slides into the waiting car. 

"Hey man," Mitch greets cheerily. His beard is nicely trimmed and he's got a black t-shirt under a brown and black patterned blazer and pants that match. He looks casual and cool, just the right side of dressed up for the evening. 

"Hey," Harry greets and slaps the outstretched hand that Mitch offers in greeting. "You look great!"

Mitch laughs and makes a show of wiping his hand off. "Dude, your hand is sweaty. You know this is a fake date right?" he teases.

"Of course I do. But this is my first fake date, pardon me for being nervous." Harry appreciates the banter as he laughs and wipes his palms on his own pants. He'd chosen something a bit closer to casual, a nice pair of black jeans and a black shirt with white polka dots which he's left unbuttoned just a bit with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. 

The ride to the restaurant doesn't take too long, and after thanking the driver Harry and Mitch walk close together into the quaint building. It's the middle of dinner but the place isn't packed yet, and Harry scans around to look for Louis before giving his name to the host.

By the time they're sat at a table for four, Harry is visibly antsy. "Sorry," he says quickly after nearly spilling his glass of water across Mitch's place setting. 

Mitch puts a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder and smiles, somehow giving Harry a bit of a sense of calm. "Relax, H. It's just dinner, you can do this." He glances over Harry's shoulder then and Harry turns to see Louis stepping up to their table. 

The man beside him is broad, his shoulders are wider than Harry's are even when he's at his fittest, and his hair is longer on the top and shaved to a buzzcut on the sides, a style that Harry wishes he could pull off. He's good looking, Harry can't deny that, but he also thinks he's all wrong for Louis. 

Pushing that thought quickly away, Harry stands at the same time Mitch does to greet the other two.

"Sorry we're late! Hit traffic a few blocks away," Louis offers as an explanation for their tardiness. Louis smiles at Harry and then at Mitch before he introduces himself. "Hi! I'm Louis, this is Aiden." 

Mitch reaches out to shake Aiden's hand and says a kind, "Hey, I'm Mitch." 

Harry waves at Aiden and nods his head in greeting with a "Harry", his nerves coming back full force as they all take their seats. He catches Louis eyeing Mitch from his spot and so he reaches over and slings his arm around his friend. It's awkward but Harry tries to keep his face calm.

Louis looks good, Harry notes internally. He's clean-shaven and he's wearing the shirt Harry used to tell him was his favorite. Briefly, he wonders if Louis remembers that and if it was intentional to make Harry's night just a little more difficult. He also wonders if Aiden tells him how good he looks before they leave the house like Harry used to. 

He hears Mitch ask Aiden what he thinks of the city so far, and the conversation between them seems to come rather easily so Harry tries his best to pay attention. He participates in conversation as naturally as he can manage, telling Louis and Aiden about his job and the big project for a law firm he's currently working on, and listening as Louis details a recent benefit concert he helped organize.

Overall, Harry is proud of himself and Mitch for their performance through the wait for their food. He thinks that they banter well enough together and share just enough casual touches that there's no way Louis or Aiden suspect anything. 

Things start to go south when their dinner gets to the table. Harry realizes that his lasagna has cilantro all throughout it and he makes a face but silently starts to pick the pieces out and place them to the side. 

"What's wrong with your food?" Mitch asks, leaning over just a bit to peek at what Harry's doing.

"Nothing, 's alright. Just some cilantro." Harry says with a small smile. He hates being picky but he just can't stand the soapy taste. 

Mitch shrugs a shoulder and resumes eating. "Oh you have that gene thing that makes it taste bad?" 

"Yeah. I can't stand it," Harry laughs. It's not until he looks up after a moment to see Louis eyeing him and Mitch from across the table that he realizes that his dislike of cilantro is probably something his boyfriend should know. 

Louis doesn't say anything about it though so Harry relaxes again as they begin to dig in and Mitch and Aiden start discussing basketball. Harry finishes removing all the cilantro he can manage and starts to dig into his pasta. 

"Do you watch much soccer?" Mitch asks curiously. Harry hums, he's been keeping up this year with the league so maybe he can add something to the conversation. He can see the way Louis' eyes light up, always eager to talk about his favorite sport just like Harry remembers. If he's the reason Harry still watches, no one needs to know that. 

"I love soccer!" Louis chirps at the same time Aiden pulls a face and shakes his head with a "Soccer is the worst."

Louis tenses up just a bit, his eyes flicking to Harry quickly before he seems to pull himself together. "Yeah but you're always supportive when I play!" he chirps. 

Harry doesn't say anything, but he distinctly remembers sitting down on Louis' sofa early into their relationship and being told I'd never date someone who won't share my love for soccer. Sure he'd been mostly kidding, but it had quickly become one of Harry's favorite things to do with Louis if nothing else but to watch the way he always got so into the games. 

He wonders why Louis would choose to be with someone who seems to not be that interested in him or his hobbies. He remembers the way Louis had reached his hand over to hold Adien's toward the beginning of the meal and the other man had taken it only after Louis had poked his elbow. 

Aiden doesn't even look like Louis' type, Harry thinks. Not that he believes types are everything, but Louis never had a preference toward men built like they were born to play in the NFL. Harry prides himself on his physique, but he knows he can't compete with the muscle Adien's holding in his arms alone. 

Not that he wants to compete, Harry's happy Louis' happy. Really.

"So Mitch, have you met Anne and Gemma yet?" Louis asks when they're nearing the end of their plates. Harry glances over at Mitch, hoping he remembers his mum and sister from their information swap the night before. 

There's only the slightest of pauses before Mitch shakes his head and sets his scotch down, "No, not quite yet. H and I are taking things slow." 

"That's great! You'll love them," Louis says, his face gone fond for a moment and Harry wishes he didn't look like he missed them when he clearly doesn't miss Harry. "How long did you say you've been seeing each other?" He asks a moment later, his head tipped a bit to the side as he glances between Harry and Mitch. 

Harry falters briefly for a moment, the wine he's had to drink has made it hard to remember some of the finer details from earlier, but he collects himself enough to answer Louis for them, though he looks to Mitch as he speaks. "How long's it been? Three months?" He hums, hoping his voice sounds sweet and collected.

Mitch smiles over at him and nods his head as he pats Harry's hand gently where it rests on the arm of his chair. "Yep, three months since I finally got you to realize I was flirting," Mitch says it so casually and Harry laughs out loud. "He's not the most observant at times," he teases. 

Harry rolls his eyes playfully, catching Louis' eyes which have narrowed the slightest bit though he's still got a pleasant smile on his lips. Harry holds his gaze, smiling back and trying to ignore the way it looks like Louis is trying to figure something out, he's seen that look way too many times. 

"Yes?" Harry asks, his eyes still stuck on Louis' face, hoping he's pulling this fake relationship thing off. 

Louis smirks and reaches for his glass. "Nothing," he hums as he takes a sip and turns to Aiden "Baby, why don't you tell that story about the tube in New York you told me earlier?"

Generally, Harry prides himself on not being a very jealous person. He holds himself higher than that and tries to just be thankful for what he has. But there's something about hearing Louis call someone else baby that makes him absolutely want to scream. Louis's eyes flick to Harry's face and he doesn't miss the way the other man's lips twitch up into a little bit of a smile at the edges. 

It's like he knows what he's doing to Harry. Like he knows Harry's still deeply in love with him, that he's spent the last eleven months wishing deeply that Louis would just call him back so they could fix whatever went wrong and made Louis run. It's like he knows this is all a lie in a desperate attempt to save face in front of Louis, to prove he's doing okay. 

He doesn't hear anything Aiden says after that, he feels the ugly pain of jealousy stab him in the chest and it doesn't seem to be leaving any time soon. He tried, he really did, but this was the stupidest thing he's ever done. 

If anyone picks up on his sudden change of mood, no one acknowledges it as they pay their checks.

"Well, it was great to meet you!" Mitch says cheerily as they make their way outdoors, his arm around Harry's waist as they walk, and Harry finds himself thankful Mitch is still putting in effort because he doesn't think he cares anymore. 

"Yeah man, it was great to meet you! We should go see a Lakers game together sometime!" Aiden's excitement is clear in his voice. 

Louis waves at Harry from where he's stood near Aiden. "Good to see you, H. I'll see you around."

Harry smiles as best he can and he nods in acknowledgment. "Yeah, see you around," he says quietly, hopeful that next time he sees Louis, Aiden will not be there. 

Thankfully, it only takes a few minutes for the Uber to show up, and as soon as the door shuts behind them, and the car starts moving Harry runs his hands over his face. "That was so stupid," he complains mostly to himself.

"I think we did a good job in there," Mitch tells him as he gently pats at his hair and lets him lean his head on his shoulder, and Harry finds himself thankful that Mitch is a tactile person like he is.

Harry laughs despite the way his throat feels tight like he's going to cry soon. "We did great," he promises as the Uber drives them toward Mitch's place to drop him off. "Thank you again for helping me."

"Course. It'll be a fun story to tell," Mitch assures him as the car begins to roll to a stop.

"Yeah definitely, we should grab a beer sometime. Sarah is invited, of course. Wouldn't want her getting the wrong idea," Harry jokes with a laugh as Mitch steps out of the car.

"Yes please!" Mitch calls before he waves goodbye and shuts the door.

Once the car begins to head off again, Harry lets himself reflect on the evening. He thinks Louis seems happy, and if Aiden is moving into the city with him, then he supposes that he's just got to deal with that unless he wants to make things weird for their friends. 

But there's no way he can deny the feeling of jealousy he felt when Louis called Aiden 'baby'. He'll never admit it out loud but he wanted to make a scene, tell Louis off and call him an asshole for just running off on him. And worst of all he'd moved on, and he's calling someone else pet names that Harry remembers too clearly were directed at him less than a year ago when forever was in front of them.

He allows himself to wallow as he watches the street pass by as the driver takes him home, and by the time he's paying for the ride, he's ready to get inside and have a nice self-pity party in the dark in his bed. 

He thanks the driver and steps out, making his way to the steps of his building. He’s just reaching for his keys when he hears someone calling his name. 

"Harry!" he hears it again and he turns toward the sound. It takes him only a fraction of a moment to recognize the figure running toward him, but it takes him until he's nearly at the bottom of the steps for him to process it. 

"Louis, what are you doing?" Harry asks as he walks back down the steps to the sidewalk, watching as Louis holds up a finger to signal for him to wait a moment as he tries to catch his breath. Louis leans over with his hands on his knees briefly and Harry amusedly wonders how far Louis had been running if he's this out of breath. 

"Sorry.. Sorry," Louis mumbles once he's got his breath under control. Now that he's stopped his heavy breathing, Harry can see the hint of nervousness that is held in the way Louis stands before him. He fidgets, his hand brushing his slightly sweat-damp fringe out of his eyes, and he shifts from foot to foot. "I just wanted to talk for a second." 

Harry laughs, the sound startling out of him before he can question it. "You wanted to talk? So you ran God knows how far to get here, instead of calling or texting?" He's got his guard up, but he's always had the biggest soft spot for Louis and he knows it won't hold for very long. 

Louis gives him a sheepish grin in response. "Thought it'd take you longer to get here," he admits, keeping the distance between them respectable. Harry's so curious, despite his best attempts to be cool toward the other man, he knows whatever defenses he has are weak. 

But it still takes him by complete surprise when Louis continues with, "You're not really dating Mitch are you?"

Harry straightens up, crossing his arms over his chest as his jaw drops open for a moment before he's able to pull himself together. "Why would you say that? Of course, we're seeing each other! What- do you think I just spent two hours lying to you?"

The look Louis gives him, tells him that that's exactly what Louis thinks and the humiliation starts to set in as Louis levels him with pursed lips. 

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Louis confirms. "He didn't know you like cilantro. Which was odd, because you're never shy about that. But then you said tonight you'd been seeing him for a couple of months, but when we were at the bar the other night you told me you'd just started seeing him and it had been 'a few dates'."

Harry wonders if he can run to the door and get inside before this gets worse, but instead, he shrugs and holds his poker face as best he can. "You're making assumptions," he tells Louis. "Those two things mean nothing, and it's honestly rude that you think that I care enough to do that."

Louis' face falls a tiny bit, the confidence he had a moment before faltering. "Wait, I was wrong?"

Harry knows it would be easy to answer with a simple yes and move on. He could let Louis think he's found someone new so easily. He feels his shoulders slump before he speaks, deciding he's done with the lying, he's never been good at it anyway. 

"No," Harry admits, "I'm not seeing Mitch. It was just so weird at the bar, and then you said you didn't bring Aiden because it would be weird and I wanted to prove to you that I can be cool about this all too."

There's a moment of quiet between them as the admission sinks in, but then Louis laughs quietly, though the sound is sad, and shakes his head. "Yeah about that... I'm not seeing anyone. Well, I was but I broke up with him before I came back."

"What?" Harry asks, his eyes widening as he stares Louis down. "That makes no sense- who was that tonight then?" 

Louis winces and runs his hand through his fringe and Harry can read the embarrassment all over his face as he admits, "I found him on Tinder."

Harry can't help it as he starts laughing because honestly, they're both absolute fucking idiots.

"We're absolute fucking idiots," he tells Louis through his giggles as they die down and he sits down on one of the steps, gesturing for Louis to join him. "Should have known when he said he didn't like soccer." 

Louis chuckles as he sits down beside Harry. "Yeah, can't date a man who doesn't appreciate it, can I?" he agrees as he fidgets with his hands for a moment and quiet falls between them again. 

Harry's wanted this moment for nearly a year, a chance to ask Louis what happened and why he left so suddenly, with nothing but flimsy excuses. But sitting here beside him, both of them having just admitted the lengths they'd go to to save face, Harry isn't sure he's ready to hear the answer Louis might have. 

"I'm sorry, Harry," Louis says after a few moments of silence where Harry's sure Louis is thinking of the right words to say. "I know it's been almost a year and I owe you a million apologies. But I came back because I made the wrong choice when I left you." 

Harry stares at the rings that cover the fingers of his hands and he spins his favorite one around a couple of times as he tries to find a response.

"Why'd you go?" He finally settles on, knowing that he needs the answer before anything else. 

A gust of early autumn air blows past them and Harry can smell the expensive Tom Ford cologne on Louis, he's got a matching bottle in his own medicine cabinet, and it smells like so many different memories all at once. 

Louis stays quiet for a moment before he speaks, his voice soft and vulnerable in the evening. "I found the ring in your drawer."

Harry feels the words like a punch to the gut and he takes in a breath of air as he nods once. "You didn't want to marry me?" he asks quietly, staring straight at his rings instead of even glancing toward Louis. 

"I wasn't ready," Louis tells him quietly. "I got scared. What we had was so big and all-encompassing and I thought I had more that I needed to see out in the world. I needed to stay free while I could. That's what I told myself at least." Louis falls quiet for a heartbeat before he continues, "I was wrong. I left the best parts of me here, and I've missed you every moment I've been gone. I've tried moving on, finding someone new, but no one comes close to what we had." 

"What the hell am I supposed to do with that?" Harry shakes his head in annoyance, his voice tinged with hurt. "You up and left Louis. You didn't answer any calls or texts from me, the guys wouldn't say if they'd heard from you, nothing. You broke my heart, and what? You expect me to take you back after all that just because you're sorry?"

Louis lets him speak, the words tumbling out before Harry can really process it all on his own. “I spent the last year hoping so desperately that you’d come home and tell me you’re sorry, that you’d give me a reason or any explanation on why you ran out on what we had. I wished every night that I’d wake up to you in my arms again. Now you’re back and you're saying all this, and it’s exactly what I wanted but I can’t just accept it all blindly.”

"I’m not asking you to do any of that!" Louis assures quickly, shifting where he's sitting to let someone pass by them into the building. "I just, I needed you to know. I know I hurt you and I don’t expect you to just forgive me so easily. I know you probably need time and I don’t blame you for being upset with me. But I do want to be in your life if you’ll give me another opportunity."

Harry frowns and rakes his hand through his hair, pushing it back away from his forehead before he turns to study Louis' face. He's beautiful in this light, well in any light really, and Harry's missed the little crinkles up by his eyes more than he could ever properly express. He's longed to be able to see the way his lashes dust his cheekbones again, to see the way he's always so expressive through his facial expressions. 

And somehow he's here. He's sitting beside Harry in front of his apartment and even though Harry's heart has been shattered into a million tiny pieces for the past year, he thinks that maybe Louis would help glue it back together. 

Hesitating for a moment, Harry reaches out and grabs Louis' hand in his own, staring back out toward the street as he feels their fingers slot together. He hates that it feels like coming home to touch Louis again. 

"I don't forgive you," he says quietly, his heart beating in his chest at a rapid pace. "But I think maybe I will someday."

He hears Louis let out a little breath of air through his nose, a little laugh coming from the boy he's been hopelessly in love with since the day he met him at eighteen years old. "I'll take it," Louis tells him as he brings Harry's hand up to his lips to press a kiss to the back of it.

They sit there for a while longer, both of them having silently agreed that nothing more needed to be said for the evening. Eventually, Harry feels his eyes beginning to droop and he lets out a yawn he starts to get to his feet. 

As Louis pulls his phone out to order an Uber, Harry pokes him gently with the toe of his boot. "You can stay in my guest room," he tells him with a small smile. It only takes a moment to convince Louis that he's not imposing before they head upstairs. 

He lets them in and tries not to laugh when Avery, his moody tabby cat, hisses at Louis and runs to hide behind Harry. "Sorry, she's a daddy's girl," he says proudly as he bends down to scratch her between her ears. 

Louis makes himself at home in the guest bed, though he does borrow a pair of shorts of Harry's to sleep in. 

The next morning, Harry wakes up first and starts to make them some breakfast, because he's always been one for Sunday brunches even if it’s at home.

He's flipping the french toast in the pan when a call comes through so he answers it through his earbuds with a happy, "Hello?"

"Soooo how'd your web of lies go last night?" Niall singsongs into his ear. 

Harry rolls his eyes and fights against the smile that wants to tug at his lips. "It went fine, think he bought it but I'm not sure," he lies easily. 

Niall groans. "So you two didn't like.. talk?" 

"Well, we had dinner together, Niall. There was conversation." Harry points out before frowning "What do you know that I don't know?" 

"Nothing," Niall grumbles, sounding sour and like he absolutely does know something he's not sharing. 

Before he can question it further, Louis comes out of the bedroom and Harry drops the spoon he'd been using to mix the strawberries. He can't help it, Louis looks so soft and sleepy and Harry's fighting every urge to kiss him as he curses loudly. 

"Alright there Haz?" Louis asks with a laugh, his voice playful as he takes a seat at the barstool. 

"Who's that?!" Niall squeaks "Is Louis there? Did Louis spend the night? Are you lying to me, Styles? I swear to God!"

"I'm good- nothing! I gotta go!" Harry rushes out, hurrying to end the call as his cheeks heat up and he puts his phone down with a pout. "So Niall might have some questions."

Louis laughs softly as he gets up and takes the spoon Harry had dropped to rinse it off. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were on the phone." 

"'S alright. He was already being pushy," Harry says honestly. "Is there something he knows that I don't know?" he wonders aloud, eyeing Louis as he serves up two plates of french toast with strawberries and whipped cream on top. 

It's Louis' turn to blush and he clears his throat as he sits down again and Harry joins him. "I may have mentioned my intentions behind moving back to him," he admits as he takes a bite of a strawberry with some topping on it. 

Harry grins and passes Louis the cup of tea he'd made just a few minutes prior. "And what are those intentions?" 

"To apologize and win you back," he answers simply, his cheeks still a pretty shade of pink. Harry doesn’t miss the way his heart leaps in his chest at the realization that Louis really is here and he’s willing to put in the work to win his forgiveness. "Thank you for breakfast, though I should be the one cooking for you," he notes. 

Harry doesn't overthink it as he reaches over and turns Louis' face toward his and connects their lips. The kiss is sweet, partially due to the taste of strawberries between them, and Harry pulls away before it can become anything more. 

"What was that?" Louis asks with a smile that makes his eyes scrunch up, his food forgotten for the moment.

"I dunno, just felt right," Harry says with his own grin on his lips. "I'm just glad you're here." 

"I'm not going anywhere this time, baby." Louis says it so easily and the familiarity of it all takes Harry by surprise. He can’t help but recall the night before when Louis had called Aiden the pet name and he wonders if he found it as weird as he did, because sitting here just the two of them, it feels almost as if nothing has changed between them in the past year.

Things are fragile between them, Harry knows that and they probably will be for a while still. But he’s pretty sure Louis is already on his way to being forgiven as they settle into their familiar morning routine. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, you can reblog the fic post [Here](https://femstyles.tumblr.com/post/630877934329200640/dont-you-call-him-baby) or retweet it [Here](https://twitter.com/femstyles28/status/1312054275938295808?s=19)


End file.
